Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant has played just 34 of 42 games this season, causing the question of retirement to pop up around the five-time NBA champion.
Lakers coach Byron Scott admitted that retirement has "crossed the mind" of Bryant, but insists that the 16-time All-Star will take a game-by-game approach as his contract runs through next season.
"I'm sure it's probably crossed his mind more than once, but we haven't talked about that one bit," Scott told ESPN. "It's just game by game -- that's how we're going to approach it and then go from there. I think he'll probably tackle that issue once this season is all said and done."
Bryant signed a two-year $48.5 million extension in 2013 that runs through the end of the 2015-16 campaign, but health concerns have led to some questions over whether he'll make it through the length of the pact.
Bryant, 36, is in his 19th season and has worked with Scott to lighten his load by playing less minutes and sitting some games and practices out. Bryant was held to just six games in 2013-14 due to myriad injuries.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP told the Los Angeles Times recently that he has thought about possibly retiring at season's end.
"I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't crossed my mind,'' Bryant told the publication. "Right now I doubt it ... but anything's possible.''
Scott, who retired as a player in the 1996-97 season at age 36 -- which was Bryant's rookie season in L.A. -- touched on how tough it is to have to ponder hanging it up.
"It's a very hard decision to make," Scott said. "When you love the game as much as I did at that time, as much as I know he does, it's tough to say to yourself that it's over, that you've got to go onto something else. The realization sometimes sets in and you've got to kind of take it for what it's worth."
Bryant is averaging 22.6 points, 5.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game thus far this season and the time for an official decision isn't here yet.
"When it comes, we'll deal with that situation, but right now, he's still here and he still plays as hard as anybody and he can still deliver, so we'll just deal with it when it comes," Scott said.
Los Angeles is in the midst of a five-game losing streak and sits at a 12-30 record, which puts the Lakers in last place in the Pacific Division.
If this proves to be the final season for Bryant in a Lakers uniform, it's a far cry from the championship caliber teams he is most fondly remembered for in L.A. lore.
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